South Portland prepares for bag fee, packaging ban

SOUTH PORTLAND — The city’s ban on polystyrene food containers and a new five-cent fee for single-use shopping bags at stores that sell food takes effect March 1.

City councilors unanimously passed the measure last September, making South Portland the second city in the state to do so. The language in South Portland heavily draws from Portland’s law, which went into effect last April.

The ordinance will require food retailers to charge customers five cents per paper or plastic bag. It will only affect retailers whose food sales exceed 2 percent of gross sales; proceeds from the fees will remain with the retailers.

The same retailers will also be banned from serving or selling food in polystyrene, including foam coffee cups and takeout containers.

Those who violate the ordinance will receive a warning the first time, a fine of $250 for the second violation, and up to $500 for each subsequent violation in the same year.

Food retailers in South Portland have had six months to make the transition, with assistance from Julie Rosenbach, the city’s sustainability coordinator. In addition to providing retail businesses with information and fielding questions from business owners and residents, she said she has distributed at least 500 reusable bags across the city.

Some retailers, including Hannaford Bros., which has two supermarkets in South Portland, will offer patrons free reusable bags at checkout during the last week of February.

“Hannaford is committed to making this transition as smooth and easy for customers as possible,” Cheryl Hinkson, director of operations for the chain, said in a Feb. 17 press release.

Rosenbach is also preparing a voluntary survey to be distributed after the changes take effect, to chart how many paper and plastic bags businesses were using before and after the ordinance.

The effects of the law won’t necessarily have a profound effect on the waste stream, Rosenbach said Wednesday. However, she said it will hopefully reduce the amount of litter on land and in the ocean, therefore reducing the materials being ingested by wildlife.

This switch isn’t going to solve “all the waste and recycling problems, but they’re a really good way” to acknowledge a problem and actively address it, she said. “We see this as a really positive step.”

Conceptually, the effects are just as important. “Really, I think they’re going to make a big impact on influencing more sustainable behaviors from people,” Rosenbach said. “But they’re one step.”

“The goal of these ordinances is to promote and to think about our consumption patterns and to rethink convenience,” Rosenbach said. “To make sure we’re looking at not just switching our bags out for a sturdier version, but we’re looking at our consumption, (and) to rethink our consumption patterns – how do we consume and what do we need to consume?”

You may also like...

I will be taking my HD Hannaford Reusable Bags and Shopping in Scarborough.
They went to far when they charged 5 cents for a paper bag.

EABeem

If you have reusable bags, you don’t have to pay for a paper one.

MCHaye

I think he’d rather spend more money on gas driving to the Scarborough store, just to make a point…

Old Salt

My daily routine has me passing by Scarborough Stores, so No extra gas consumed to make my point.
The SoPo Council mirrored Portland’s Ordinance. It isn’t a Ban, just and additional fee. How much is that $0.05 really going to prevent plastic bags in the waste stream?
If they really wanted to do something, why not truly “BAN” those bags? And that means “ALL Stores”.

Steve Dolan

I’d gladly be willing to pay 5 cents for a paper or plastic bag. 4 plastic bags will cost 20 cents. If they are serious they should charge at least a dollar per bag.

yathink2011

When are they going to ban the rest of the packaging that goes in landfills? At least the plastic bags are reusable. You ever reuse a Lays Potato Chip Bag? I didn’t think so. But if it makes you feel good, just ban the reusable plastic bags. And make sure you wash the meat juice out of the reusable carry out bags.

MCHaye

Meat juice? I take it you’re not familiar with the produce-style bags which are available in the meat section and always have been? There’s no fee on those. I always wrapped my meats in those long before the new ordinance. Who wants meat juice on their other items?

Chew H Bird

Maybe that is the solution? Use the produce bags (free) to carry out the items… Just grab a few in the produce or butcher area and call it a day.

yathink2011

Do they charge extra for the produce style bags in the meat section? If not, why not? Do they charge for any of the other packaging that prodcuts come in? No. The only bag in the store that is reusable is the one you carry the ther packaging home in. Why? Because it makes people feel good, that’s it.